A zelkova gate in front of the main house
The Morita Family Residence Gate (森田家住宅門, Morita-ke Jūtaku Mon) is a late-Edo Yakuimon gate in Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo, built between 1830 and 1868 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 24 December 2013, registration number 13-0320.
The Morita Family Residence Gate is the formal entrance on the south side of the lot, directly in front of the main house. It is a single-bay yakuimon with a gabled copper roof and an opening 2.7 metres wide. Its east side is fixed to the west wall of the shop storehouse, and the board fence runs off from its west side. Side walls (Sodobei) flank it, with a small wicket door (Kugurido) in the eastern one.
Why it was listed
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Morita Family Residence Gate as a broad front gate that, with the shop storehouse and the fence, gives the homestead its dignified frontage. Its main posts, tie beam and beams are cut from fine zelkova.
If the shop storehouse is the commercial face and the front storehouse holds the corner, the gate is the formal way in for guests. It stands facing the front of the main house, where the Shikidai porch receives guests.
What to look for
The roof of the Morita Family Residence Gate is a gable with a boxed ridge and a slight upward curve. According to the family, the eaves on the street side project unusually far. In a yakuimon the main posts stand forward of the centre line with rear posts behind them, which is why the front eaves run so deep.
Look down at the footings too. The main posts stand on dressed stone, while the rear posts rest on natural boulders. The posts guests see are treated formally; the ones behind are left plain.
Visiting
The Morita Family Residence Gate faces Mutsumibashi-dori, so its exterior can be seen from the street at any time. Because it stands in front of the main house, the gate marks the axis of the whole homestead. Passing through the gate into the grounds requires the owner's permission.
There is no posted rule on photography, and pictures from the street are unproblematic. Beyond the gate is a family home. Directions are on the Morita Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- Can you see the Morita Family Residence Gate?
- Yes. The Morita Family Residence Gate faces Mutsumibashi-dori and can be viewed from the street at any time. Going through it into the grounds requires the owner's permission.
- What type of gate is the Morita Family Residence Gate?
- A single-bay yakuimon with a gabled copper roof, side walls on both flanks and a wicket door on the east side.
- When was the Morita Family Residence Gate built?
- In the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868.
- What wood is the Morita Family Residence Gate made of?
- Its main posts, tie beam and beams are of fine zelkova timber.
- When was the Morita Family Residence Gate registered?
- On 24 December 2013, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property with registration number 13-0320.
Basic Information
| Name | Morita Family Residence Gate (森田家住宅門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 633-1 Konaka, Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/12/24 (Heisei 25); registration no. 13-0320 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber; opening 2.7 metres wide; side walls and wicket door |
| Owner | Not published (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Morita Family Residence Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009735
- Cultural Heritage Online: Morita Family Residence Gate
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/207454
- Kanmi Sabō Misegura Hisamori: cultural properties
- https://www.hisamori.biz/pages/10/
- Akiruno City: designated and registered cultural properties in Akiruno
- https://www.city.akiruno.tokyo.jp/kanko/0000001910.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
